Do You Really Need Back Surgery?

A Surgeon's Guide to Neck and Back Pain and How to Choose Your Treatment

Second Edition

Aaron G. Filler, M.D.

Sold 10,000 copies

Written by a world-famous expert in nerve and spinal surgery

The first authoritative and accessible book about back surgery--and how to avoid it--written by a surgeon for patients

Comprehensive review of the pros and cons of available options

Covers all the questions doctors often don't have time to answer

Defines basic terminology and anatomy

Discusses the various types of back and neck pain and their causes, noting that most back pain goes away without treatment

Author maintains a detailed book site which contains info about the book as well as an array of resources for back pain sufferers

Includes almost a hundred illustrations and clearly-labeled diagrams

New to this Edition:

23.5% expansion

The book adds two chapters not included in the previous edition which deal with nerve entrapment problems that are often mistaken for spine problems.

Updated medications and a new section on herbal remedies, including a table warning patients about side effects of these medications

40 new technologies

Discussion of major regulatory issues that have been in the news

This edition covers the impact of dozens of new advanced technologies in spinal diagnostics and treatment that have emerged in the eight years since the original very successful edition.

This edition covers information on dozens of herbal medicines and explains the how the side effects of some herbal medicine can be very dangerous during surgery.

Do You Really Need Back Surgery?

A Surgeon's Guide to Neck and Back Pain and How to Choose Your Treatment

Second Edition

Aaron G. Filler, M.D.

Description

For the half million people who undergo back surgery each year, and the additional million who are seriously contemplating it, Do You Really Need Back Surgery? is a godsend--an informed, reliable guide to when you should consider surgery and when you should not.

Written by an internationally recognized expert in nerve and spinal surgery, this highly readable guide covers everything back patients need to know to make informed decisions about their treatment. Featuring 115 illustrations, the book discusses the details of spinal anatomy; the difference between acute, chronic, and recurring pain; shows how to keep the spine healthy; and explains such terms as spurs, stenosis, and slippage. It reveals what clues your physician uses to predict whether a given
type of pain is likely to go away with rest and exercise, or may become an emergency. Dr. Filler discusses the risks of surgery, the decisions you may be faced with and what options you have, and your expectations for recovery. He provides detailed explanations of the wide array of spinal injections and surgeries, including discectomies and fusions, as well as innovative procedures such as electrothermic and laser techniques and artificial disks. He explains the various medical imaging and diagnostic tests available and even covers the complexities of health insurance.

The new and extensively revised Second Edition now covers dozens of advanced techniques in spinal diagnostics and treatment as well as advances in new pain medications and new surgeries that minimize recovery
time and achieve better outcomes. A new section on the benefits and risks of a wide array of herbal medicines has been added. Finally, the book features two entirely new chapters that describe a series of different nerve entrapment syndromes that can cause headache, neck, shoulder, and arm pain as well as causing buttock and leg pain--but are not caused by spine problems.

Part II: Spine & Nerve Surgery12. Without an Incision:
Percutaneous Procedures for Diagnosis & Treatment13. Surgery-Before, During & After: Common Elements You Should Know About 14. Surgery to Take the Pressure Off the Neural Tissues of the Spine15. Surgery Inside the Spinal Dural Lining 16. Spine Carpentry: History & Principles of Rebuilding the Broken Spine17. Fixing the Cervical Spine: Surgical Approaches to the Neck18. Thoracic Spine Operations: Surgical Approaches to Mid- & Upper-Back Problems19. Lumbar Implants and Fusion: Major Surgeries for the Low Back20. Surgery to Release Nerve Entrapments in the Shoulder, Arm, Pelvis and Legs (NEW)21. Genes, Designer Proteins, and Biomaterials: The Role of Biotechnology in Spine and Nerve Surgery22. Risks, Outcomes and Choices23. Recovery After
Surgery24. Health Insurance and the Cost of SurgeryEpilogue: Knowledge and Resilience

Do You Really Need Back Surgery?

A Surgeon's Guide to Neck and Back Pain and How to Choose Your Treatment

Second Edition

Aaron G. Filler, M.D.

Author Information

Aaron G. Filler, MD, PhD is one of the world's leading authorities on nerve and spinal surgery. He is Medical Director of both the Institute for Nerve Medicine and the Center for Advanced Spinal Neurosurgery, and is an Associate of the Institute for Spinal Disorders, at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, in Los Angeles, California.

Do You Really Need Back Surgery?

A Surgeon's Guide to Neck and Back Pain and How to Choose Your Treatment

Second Edition

Aaron G. Filler, M.D.

Reviews and Awards

"This is the first book that bridges the gap between a surgical textbook and an elementary lay book. Dr. Filler clearly describes the nature of back pain and treatment in a fashion that is sufficiently detailed yet reasonably concise to address these important issues. He takes out the mystery and writes in an engaging readable style."--Joshua P. Prager, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA